Cry of the Wolf
by Scratch
Summary: San has started to realize that she must accept the humans. But can she really live with them forever? Who will it be? Ashitaka? Or the wolves... This is only the first chapter, I hope you enjoy it!
1. Chapter 1

Cry of the Wolf  
By: Scratch  
  
  
San looked around about her. She still could not believe where she   
was. After all, it seemed so... unnatural. Living in a forest all her life,   
and now, living in a house... like a human... it felt overwhelmingly strange.   
San sometimes wondered why she even put herself in a situation like this one.  
  
"San, I'm home!"  
  
Then she remembered.  
  
"Ashitaka," San answered.  
  
"Yes, darling, I'm back," replied Ashitaka, San's husband.  
  
This is why I'm here, San thought, I remember now.  
  
She walked over to him. He took her hands and kissed her.  
  
"How are you this morning?" Ashitaka asked her warmly.  
  
"Just fine, nothing's new. How's the progress with Iron Town?" San   
said.  
  
"It's going great and I'm sure we're almost done building. It's so   
wonderful that we can co-exsist with the forest now. We can live and build   
without having to destroy the forest or animals!" Ashitaka said.  
  
"They, you mean. They can build. Not us," San said stubbornly.  
  
"San, you know there is peace between the animal tribes and the   
humans now. We live together in a just, equal world. You can at least try to   
accept them now, can't you? They're trying their best," said Ashitaka.  
  
San sighed. "I know that. And I try to accept it, but... it's so   
hard to forgive them for the past. All that forest... destroyed... and   
Morro..." Tears welled up in San's eyes. She hated crying. It showed her   
weakness, which animals, wolves, never do.  
  
Ashitaka hated to see San sad. She was such a strong person, there   
were times when he thought nothing could bring her tough nature and high   
spirit down. But when something did, he was there to comfort the person he   
loved.  
  
"San, San, it's alright. The forest has grown again, hasn't it? And   
Morro... well, everyone has to die at some point, and I guess it was just her   
time," Ashitaka said, though he thought it was a weak attempt to comfort San.  
  
"But Morro was a goddess! She was a wolf," cried San.  
  
Ashitaka took San in his arms and moved his mouth toward her ear. He   
whispered into it, "Wolves don't live forever... their species will be   
eternal, though. They will hunt, play, run... there'll be wolves until the   
end of eternity. And..." he said, "You'll be the goddess of them all."  
  
San had tears in her eyes, and she hugged Ashitaka tighter. She   
said, "It's hard to believe that you aren't a wolf."  
  
"It's getting late. Perhaps we should go to bed," said Ashitaka.   
"Well, at least I'm going to bed. You don't have to."  
  
"No, I'll go to bed as well," said San, a little reluctantly.  
  
So Ashitaka and San both went to bed. San was very tired, but she   
thought she had too much on her mind to sleep.   
Then they were both in bed, but only Ashitaka had fallen asleep. San   
was looking out the window, at the large, silver moon. She thought she saw a   
wolf walking under the horizon, and she definitely heard its cries to the   
moon. She felt as if the wolf were calling her.  
  
Come back to us...  
You don't belong with them...  
Stay with your family...  
Join the wolves...  



	2. Chapter 2

San sat up abruptly in bed, then scolded herself. She could have   
woken Ashitaka! She gazed at the moon, and she thought she could still hear   
the echoes of the wolf's cries. That does it, San thought, I- I have to.   
Forgive me, Ashitaka. She slowly and carefully lifted the covers, and stepped   
out of bed. Ashitaka started to stir, and San froze. He turned over, and was   
still. San sighed quietly with relief. She crept across the room, and the   
door creaked as she opened it and padded silently outside. She was relieved-   
she had been able to leave the house without her husband noticing. But, just   
as the door creaked, one eye snapped open just long enough to catch a glimpse   
of a white fur slipping out the door. He looked worried, but then smiled, and   
returned to his sleep.  
  
* * * * * *   
  
San quickly and quietly climbed up the grassy mountain. She had   
almost reached the place she was looking for. After a few minutes' time, she   
was finally there. Up the mountain. Her old den.   
She climbed up the rocky ledge, and sat perched atop the cliff,   
where Moro used to lay and watch the moon. A tear escaped San's eye. How   
could she have ever left this all behind? Suddenly San gasped as the tear   
rolled down her cheek and made a tiny splash on the rock.   
  
"What's happening to me?" she moaned, looking at the place where her   
tear had fallen. "My emotions... they've become so... human." San let out a   
long, mournful wolf howl as the clouds passed over the silver moon.  
  
Suddenly she heard padding footsteps approaching from behind her.   
"Who's there?" she cried as she pulled out her dagger. A large white wolf   
emerged from the bushes.   
  
"Brother?" San asked in disbelief.   
  
"San! San... it has been... a long time," said the wolf in a deep   
voice.   
  
"Much too long," said another almost identical wolf that also   
stepped out from the brush. San smiled at him.  
  
"What are you two doing here?" she asked them.   
  
"Well, this is our den," said one wolf, who glanced at the other.  
  
"Oh... of course," said San, "It must have just... slipped my mind."  
  
The wolves gave each other funny looks again. Then one of them   
approached San, and started to sniff her. Soon the other one joined in as   
well.  
  
"What is it, you two?" San asked.   
  
"You smell like... like a human, San," they said.  
  
San smiled immediately. "C'mon, you guys, get serious," she said.   
  
"San..." one tried to cut in.  
  
"You guys! Stop joking around. Seems like a funny thing to do when   
you first see a person who you haven't seen for a long time."  
  
"San... we're not joking. You really do," the wolf said.   
  
"You are very human," the other added. "You're almost... well,   
you're barely a wolf anymore."   
  
The smile disappeared from San's face. "You... you... you're not   
serious..." The wolves nodded that they were indeed serious. "So... are you   
saying I'm not a wolf anymore? I'm not a part of the wolf tribe?"  
  
"Well, you live with a human, and you're helping the villagers   
rebuild Iron Town!" the wolf said.   
  
"I am NOT helping them rebuild Iron Town!" San yelled. "I would   
never help the humans, ever!"  
  
"Your husband is a human, San, a human who is helping to rebuild the   
Town."  
  
"But Ashitaka and I are not one person! We are two seperate   
spirits!" San cried in defiance.   
  
"But San... it's still human... don't you remember Moro? Don't you   
you remember your family? The... the Great Forest Spirit?"  
  
"Of course I do! I would never forget them! Moro! I love her!" San   
yelled.   
  
"We are leaving," one of the wolves stated. "San... please, please,   
try and remember who you are."   
  
"But I do! I do..." San said, tears streaming down her face. "I do   
remember who I am. I miss you! I miss my family!" But by the time, she had   
spoken, the wolves were gone, just like misty ghosts of white.   
  
* * * * * *  
  
As San stumbled down the mountain, she realized that she had come to   
her old home to feel better, and now she only felt worse. What am I going to   
do, she thought. I want to go home... I want to live as a wolf. But I... I   
also want to live with Ashitaka... whatever shall I do? she cried in her   
mind. She wanted both so badly, but for some reason, she knew that she could   
only have one. And soon, it would be time to choose.  



End file.
